The Cleveland Browns are expected to have all their quarterbacks in attendance as they rev up their voluntary offseason program this week.
The Browns will kick off voluntary workouts Tuesday, with Watson — who missed all of last season — expected to be in the building and back in the mix from the outset.
“Deshaun is there right now. The word out there is that he would be there for the start of the offseason workout program,” ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi said on 92.3 The Fan. “I saw him post that he’s in the building, on the indoor practice field. I’d expect to see Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and I would think we would see Dillon Gabriel, although Todd Monken said he hasn’t seen him through the offseason. I don’t think that’s a big deal.”
Attendance is worth monitoring, but it won’t settle anything just yet. Monken has been clear that Cleveland’s quarterback situation is an open competition, and the early stages of the offseason program are more about installation and evaluation than establishing a pecking order.
Still, having Watson, Sanders, and Gabriel all under one roof gives the Browns their first real opportunity to sort through a murky depth chart that will ultimately define the offense’s direction.
Browns Rep-Watch Will Be Back in Spotlight
While it’s an open competition, Monken has said the reps will not be distributed equally.
“I wouldn’t say they’re going to be evenly dispersed, but we’ll definitely disperse them to give ourselves a chance to at least evaluate who we have on the roster, whoever that might be as we go through the offseason,” Monken said.
Last offseason, the reps were closely watched by observers as the Browns staged a similar quarterback competition featuring Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Gabriel, and Sanders. When Sanders eventually got his opportunity to start, his limited work with the first-team offense became a frequent point of discussion.
Monken said that he’d like to have an answer on the quarterback situation sooner than later.
“You’d love to be able to come out of the spring with a depth chart,” Monken said. “That doesn’t mean there’s still not competition. But I do think you have to narrow the reps or at least balance up the reps of who you anticipate has come out of the spring certainly in a position to be a starter.”
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Gets Fresh Start
Watson’s tenure in Cleveland has been turbulent, to say the least. He came over via a blockbuster trade in 2022. However, Watson has played in just 19 games since arriving in Cleveland with mixed results when he has been on the field. Watson has gone 9-10 as the starter, passing for 3,365 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions.
Watson is heading into the final year of his contract, but has an opportunity to prove himself to the new coaching staff.
“Deshaun has a great chance, fresh start, offensive-minded coach, who has in his past been able to work with all kinds of different quarterbacks and make them successful,” Browns owner Jimmy Haslam said. “So, Deshaun has a great chance to do that now. We talked to him the other day, he said he weighs the [least] he has in several years. He’s in great shape, he’ll be [in Cleveland] on April 7 when we start [the offseason workout program]. Let’s see what Deshaun can do. We’re all excited.”
Watson’s last full season came in 2020 while with the Houston Texans. He led the NFL in passing yards and made his third Pro Bowl.
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